Parent Handbook

 
 

PROGRAMME

Our programme is based  on Te Whariki the early childhood curriculum from  the  Ministry of Education. We have  also been  inspired  by the Reggio Emilia approach  to teaching  and  learning. The programme  is creative based, child  centred  and  developmental.  Our ongoing  observation  of the children enables us to plan a programme based on a child's  interest and is designed to meet an individual's needs.

Our practices  reflect and  celebrate  the  multi cultural heritage  of our community. We believe that early childhood education should facilitate the  development  of  confidence,  independence,  and  an  interest  in learning.

Play is central to children's development. It is their unique way of learning about the world and showing us what they already know. Carefully designed indoor and outdoor  play are an integral part of the experiences we provide, giving opportunity for both structured and spontaneous play.

Routine is an important  part of the  structure  of our day. It gives the children a sense of security and a sense of the passage of time, allowing them to develop independence.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Our centre is privately owned and operated by local parents. The owners have a strong commitment to the philosophies of the centre and a strong belief in Early Childhood Education .

Nurture  Early Learning  receives  bulk  funding  from  the  Ministry of Education.  This funding is used to provide a quality programme and environment for the children.  The Education Review Office has reviewed our centre and this review is available on the notice board and at www.ero.govt.nz.

Copies of our centre policies are held at the Centre and are available for parent inspection. Parents are encouraged to contribute to all policy development.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

We welcome  parents  into our  centre  at anytime. Parent  participation sends a strong positive message to your child that you support them and are part of  our  care environment.  A three-way relationship  between parents, care givers and the child enhances the well being and learning of the children. Communication  is a vital ingredient  to the success of this partnership. We also hold regular educational and social parent evenings, and throughout the year hold parent teacher interviews.


HOURS

Children  should  be  dropped off and  collected  within  the  Centre's operating hours. If you are unable to pick your child up on time please contact the Centre. This allows staff to allay your child's concerns and make plans for alternative supervision. A late fee will apply if your child is left at the Centre after closing time.

ORIENTATION

We recommend that  parents  and  children  visit our  Centre  prior  to attending,  to   meet   staff  and   familiarise  themselves   with  our surroundings. This ensures a positive beginning.

We ensure that at least one staff member greets the child and creates a relationship  with the family and the child. Detailed discussions on the child's development, behaviour, sleeping  and  eating  requirements must be held upon enrolment.


DROPPING OFF AND COLLECTING YOUR CHILD To facilitate a good start to the day:

•  Ensure that  your child gets  to  our centre  in good  time,  so that neither you or your child are stressed with haste.

•  Acknowledge  the  teacher  and  exchange  brief information,  more detailed discussions should be planned for a more appropriate time.

•  Sign in and out on tablet- This is a legal requirement by the Ministry of  Education  and  it  is also  a  safety  requirement in  case  of an emergency evacuation in the Centre.

•  Write details of any information  the staff may need  for the day for

example, health, medicine, or early pick up - in the book provided near the attendance register.

•  Check the notice board on the window by the front door for important information.

•  If your child would like to bring a special toy from home it may help them  settle  in. We cannot  however take overall responsibility  for these toy's.

•  Say goodbye, and pass on a positive comment to your child.

Car seats  can  be  left at our  centre  for your  convenience  and  your children's safety. You are only permitted to park at the Centre in order to leave and collect your child.

Collecting your child:

•  Acknowledge a staff member.

•  Greet your child and admire and enjoy some of the work they have done during the day.

•  Collect any masterpiece your child may have created during their day. 

•  Collect any belongings and have a safe journey home.

A responsible  adult  known  to  the  Centre Manager and  staff must  bring children into our Centre. Only authorised  persons  (as indicated  on the enrolment form) will be allowed to collect children from our  Centre. Please  notify the  manager in writing  of any changes  to  the  adult collecting  your  child.  An adult  other  than  one  known to the  Centre requires photographic identification. Parents with custody orders must provide a copy to the Manager.

In the case of a non-custodial  parent  arriving to collect a child, the Manager will contact the police and provide the copy of the order for the police to enforce. A child will not  be allowed to go home  with a parent/guardian in contravention of a custody/court  order held at the Centre. However, in the event of a non-custodial parent gaining access to a child, our  Centre cannot be held liable.

CLOTHING

All clothing, shoes, cuddlies and bags must be clearly named. Because play and  exploration  can often  be wet or messy, children should  be dressed appropriately  and a spare change of clothes should be packed every day. In winter, rain attire, gumboots and a warm hat are essential. In summer, sun-hats are to be provided for outdoor play and we recommend you apply sun block to your child before the start of the day, staff will apply additional sun block during the day.

WHAT TO BRING

Parents  each  day need  to provide the  following items in their child's named bag:

Under Two's

•  Enough named nappies for the day.

•  Milk/Formula in a named bottle (enough for the day).

•  Complete set of spare clothes (enough for the day).

•  Special items for sleep i.e. cuddly, toy, book etc.

•  Sunhat / warm waterproof outside clothes in winter.

Over Two's

•  Nappies (named) if still needed.

•  Complete change of clothes (more when toilet training).

•  Special items for sleep i.e. cuddly, toy, book etc.

•  Sunhat / warm waterproof outside clothes in winter.

LOST PROPERTY

Our Centre there is a container for unnamed and lost property. It would be appreciated if parents could check this regularly as the amount builds up. Items that are still uncollected  after three months  are donated to a local charity.

STAFF

Nurture Early Learning is committed to staffing our Centre with highly skilled, passionate and caring teachers. Our Centre has fully qualified early childcare staff

and may also have some staff who are in training. All staff participate in ongoing professional development. As with all licensed early childhood centre's, our staff to child ratio is regulated by the Ministry of Education. The number  of staff required  to work with the children is 1 adult to 5 under 2 year old children and 1 adult to 10 over 2 year old children. We aim to provide a ratio that is always  better than this.

From time to time, you will see new faces at our Centre. We have a roster of relief staff to help in the case of staff absence or just to give extra help. All staff are screened  before participating  in our daily activities and must adhere to our philosophy whilst at our Centre. From time to time early childhood   teacher  trainees   will be  at  our centre  as  the  practical component of their course. They will be supervised while at our centre and at no time will be left in charge of a group.

FEES

Please  refer  to  the  Fees  Schedule  that  is attached to  your  child's enrolment form. Invoices  are issued  weekly.  Fee must be paid one week in advance. Automatic payments are our preferred form of payment and we don't accept cash.

Our centre offers the Ministry of Education 20 hours subsidy to all 3 and 4 year old children who are eligible. You can discuss this with staff.

Work and  Income may operate  a subsidy for parents  whose  children attend the  Centre. The subsidy  is subject  to an income  qualification. Contact  Work  and  Income  for further  information  and  forms. In  this instance full payment of fees is the care giver's responsibility and will be required until a subsidy has been approved.

Fees will still be charged when your child is absent due to sickness or other reason. They will also be charged for enrolled days if they fall on a statutory holiday. This is because our centre still has to pay our staff. and other set rental outgoings.

After children have been enrolled in our centre for more than 6 months families are entitle to a 50% discount of their fees when their child will be absent from the centre for a consecutive period of 1 week or more. Two weeks notice of the absence must be given in written.

FOOD

Nurture Early Learning offers a unique  concept  of a separate dinning facility for children to eat their meals. We believe that this helps develop healthy eating habits, and encourages great social behaviour. This also enables Nurture to provide a hygienic meal space for the children.

Our full time centre-chef  will design  and  provide  healthy  daily meals  for your child  that  include morning tea, a hot lunch and afternoon tea. Our menu is written up on the blackboard in the kitchen each week. Every day your child will be offered fresh fruit and  vegetables and  encouraged to  drink water  to  promote  healthy eating habits. Mealtimes also provide opportunities to reinforce hygiene habits and promote good table manners and participation.

It is important  that any food allergies be advised to staff so they can be posted in the kitchen and strictly followed. Please do not put food in your child's bag as there may be children who have allergies attending our Centre. If your child requires a bottle  of milk/formula during  the  day, please  provide a named and filled bottle, which will be stored  in the refrigerator until needed.

TOILETING

Routine toileting times are provided before meals and naps to encourage good habits and independence in children who are ready. During toilet training, staff will endeavour to support efforts made at home. Please feel free to discuss any special needs with staff. Please make sure you send plenty  of changes  of clothes  during  this time, as a few accidents  are unavoidable. Parents  must  supply sufficient named  nappies  for their child's day. All nappies must be disposable.

REST

Nurture Early Learning has separate  sleep rooms attached to baby area. Your child will sleep in an allocated cot with their personal, named linen, which is laundered twice weekly. Older children are offered the opportunity to have a special time to relax or rest during the day; it enables them to gather their thoughts and strength for the rest of the day. It is our policy that if a child falls asleep, they are in need of a rest and will not be woken unless parents  have requested otherwise. Some older  children  may not need sleep, but  quiet  activities will be available

EXCURSIONS / TRIPS

Excursions out of our Centre will be arranged from time to time as part of your child's experience. Parents are encouraged to be part of the outing when  possible.  Excursion slips outlining  the  trip,  transport,  cost and adult/child  ratio will be given to all parents  to complete  prior to an outing. Children who are unable to attend  the excursion will remain at our Centre with a trained staff member. Children may be taken on small walks out of the Centre. Approval for these is asked for when completing the enrolment form.

EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES

In case of an unforeseen emergency situation, every effort will be made to contact  parents  to collect their child. If we are in a Centre Lockdown we will inform parents over our website, and parents are request to neither call or arrive at centre to collect their child. Regular fire drills are a legal requirement.  If you are present  at a fire drill, you are required by law to participate. Emergency evacuation  plans  are displayed  in the  Centre. Staff are familiar with evacuation procedures and policies.

Parents  and  visitors to the  Centre will be asked  to make themselves familiar with the evacuation  plan. Regular emergency  procedures  give the children an opportunity to become  familiar with the  routine  and planned evacuation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Our Centres Health and Safety policy is on display in our Centre. If parents have any concerns about a health or safety issue could they please raise it with the Manager. As an important part of your child's growth they will develop an awareness  of their safety in play and personal  safety with others.

CHILD HEALTH

We ask that any child who is unwell be kept at home so illness does not spread  through  our Centre. The Manager may at his/her  discretion refuse to accept any child deemed unwell enough to attend our Centre. Children with severe coughs or colds, vomiting, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, rashes  or raised  temperatures cannot  be  brought  into our  Centre.  If symptoms  develop  during  the  day the  parent  will be  contacted  to arrange for immediate collection of their child.

A list of contagious conditions is on display at our centre outside the Managers office. Parents must make themselves familiar with this. Please remember that Vomiting and Diarrhoea can be a serious health risk to babies. Our Centre should be advised if the child has contracted a notifiable or infectious disease such as guardia, mumps, chickenpox etc. These children  are required  to be  absent  from our  centre  as per the communicable diseases chart which is on display in our Centre. We ask that children who have vomited or had diarrhoea are kept home for 48 hours after the last bout.

IMMUNISATION

We are required to keep an up-to-date Immunisation status of all children at our  Centre. Please remember to bring your Well Child Book and a copy of your immunisation certificate with you when you enrol your child at the Centre. If your child is not immunised a letter confirming this needs to be attached to your enrolment form. In the case of an outbreak of such a disease  a non immunised child will be asked to stay away from our Centre for the duration of the outbreak.


MEDICATION

Please advise the staff if your child is taking any medication. All medicines must be kept in the kitchen and the medicine book that is kept beside the sign in sheet must be filled in before we can administer any medication. Only medication that has a label stating  your child's name  and expiry date  will be administered. We do not  administer  paracetamol unless prescribed by a doctor as it may mask a more serious illness.

The Centre keeps a first aid kit, which includes homeopathic medication for small incidents. Please advise the Manager if you would prefer these were not given to your child.

COMMUNICATION

Good communication all round is an essential component of a successful early childhood education experience

At Nurture Parents  are  kept  informed  of Centre  activities through  newsletters, notices posted on room doors. Important notices are placed on the main entrance door.  Please make sure you look at the notice board every day.

Teachers monitor your child's progress and keep a portfolio and an online  platform (Storypark) showing your child's development and what amazing activities they have been up to. Parents are invited to view their children's portfolio at anytime. If you would like a detailed discussion on your child's progress, we welcome  such discussions. Please make an appointment with our Manager or check for an appropriate time on the parents notice board.

The following documentation is available in reception for your perusal.

Latest ERO report

Financial statements

Early childhood regulations 2018

Licensing criteria

Centre policy manual


Please let us know if your child is going to be absent from our Centre as we care about your children's welfare.

At least one week's notice must be given in writing if you wish to change  your attendance days. Please ask the Manager for the appropriate form. Parents are invited to be part of the Centre policy review process, please make sure you are involved when the opportunity arises.

If you have any concerns or complaints relating to the operation of the Centre please refer the matter to:

Trudie Kroef

Nurture Early Learning

P O Box 10263,

Dominion Rd,

Auckland.

An important  aspect  to Nurture Early Learning is to create a sense  of family  and   community   within  our  centre.  We  therefore   welcome grandparents, family or friends to join parents and visit the centre. Your participation  in the Centre is welcomed and will help to ensure  your family enjoys their early childhood experience.

We hope you and your family have an enjoyable  time at Nurture Early Learning